Renishaw engineering open house attracts 500 visitors

On 3rd August 2018, Renishaw hosted 500 young people and their parents at its Gloucestershire headquarters for an open house. Initiated by the Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET), the open house events took place at engineering businesses across the country to open the eyes of young people aged 7 to 21 to the opportunities available in engineering.

On the day, Renishaw’s team of science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM) ambassadors ran activities to engage and inspire the young visitors. Attendees of all ages were able to take tours of Renishaw’s product display areas to introduce them to how diverse a career in engineering can be.

Visitors could also attend two shows, which featured a reading of Little Miss Inventor and a science show, which explained how magnets work. Earlier in 2018, Renishaw supplied 1,000 copies of the newly released Little Miss book to local primary schools, with the hope of showing young female students that inventing and solving problems is fun and exciting and that engineers can be both male and female.

Renishaw also ran hands-on activities, where attendees were able to build and launch a stomp rocket and could ride an energy bike. Another hands-on workshop gave visitors the chance to make a homopolar motor from a battery, magnet and paperclip. The younger children could also visit an activities table for independent tasks, including a word search and drawing an engineer. The children were able to take home their projects to share with family and friends, allowing the impact of the event to resonate beyond the day itself.

Renishaw also showcased the work of its engineering apprentices and graduates by displaying a video and a stand dedicated to Gromitronic, an interactive sculpture built for The Grand Appeal’s Gromit Unleashed 2 trail. Visitors were also excited by Renishaw’s winning Greenpower race car, which was exhibited next to a Greenpower Goblins car, designed by primary school children, to help the younger attendees to contextualise their knowledge.

Siobhan Denniff, Education Outreach Executive at Renishaw explains: “Hosting such a large education event was the perfect way to celebrate 2018 as the Year of Engineering. The more young people who are given an insight into how exciting an engineering career can be, the better. Even more pleasing was the fact that almost 40 per cent of students and children attending were female. It is encouraging to see a pipeline of girls interested in STEM careers, as just eleven per cent of the UK’s engineering workforce are female.”

Renishaw received extremely positive feedback from visitors. One adult who attended the day said: “Thank you very much for an inspirational morning. My eight-year-old grandson loved it all and I was so impressed with the patience and engagement all the presenters showed to his innumerable questions. We would still be with you if I had not run out of steam!”

The open house also featured a careers stand and provided the opportunity to meet an apprentice or a graduate to find out what a career in engineering is really like. Representatives from the IET were on hand to meet attendees and give their insight into the industry.